McCAFFERY: Making headlines will help Phils' ticket lines

Even in an unappealing summer of first-pitch pop-ups, bullpen follies and players approaching middle age and performing that way, the Phillies led baseball in one proud race: attendance.

No organization drew more than the Phils’ 3,565,718 customers. None averaged more than their 44,021 per game. No team played to better than their 100.8-percent capacity.

Plopped in the sport’s No. 1 monopoly market, that should be the Phillies’ eternal mandate. They should present such a roster of stars that they should always lead baseball in occupied seats, give or take a rainy night. But to do that in 2013, it will require an injection of passion. That means the Phillies will need a headline-filled, twitter-clogged, bottom-line-TV-crawl-dominated next three months.

They must sign appealing free agents. But just as important, they will need discussion about free agents, pro and con, night and day. They are going to need trades. But they are going to need trade rumors, too.

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The Eagles are chugging toward a rebuilding period. The NHL is in a lockout. The NBA playoffs are months away. That makes the atmosphere right for the Phillies to dominate the talk-show gas-bagging. So dabble in the sure-to-be Alex Rodriguez shopping. Consider signing Josh Hamilton, his luggage included. Dangle Jimmy Rollins in trade talks — then pull him back, just for effect.

That’s not necessarily Dave Montgomery’s preference. He believes the Phillies remain popular because the fans are attached to Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and the core of the 2007-2011 division dynasty. It’s why his nod made Cole Hamels much, much wealthier. And it’s OK to keep that stitching.

But if Montgomery and Ruben Amaro don’t add power-hitting at third and at the corner outfield spots, Charlie Manuel might commence to damaging clubhouse plumbing fixtures — and those 3.5 million customers will drip down to 2.5 million in a hurry.

n Why are some sports ideas so basic, yet take so long to arrive? For instance, with the funding that big-league teams can generate, why doesn’t every franchise employ a left-handed hitting instructor and a right-handed one, too? That’s what the Phillies have now in Steve Henderson and Wally Joyner.

And they say American ingenuity is dead.

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Yep, Tim Tebow is on the list.

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Arithmetic class is in session. And it will explain why, whenever the NHL lockout ends, the fans will return, just as Gary Bettman has predicted.

In a great year, an NHL team will play 41 home games, maybe 10 playoff games, and maybe four preseason games. That’s 55 hockey nights. It’s also 310 nights without hockey. So what’s the exception — the hockey night, or the non-hockey night?

The central appeal to every sport but baseball is that game days are treats. The NFL, as popular an entertainment option as there has been in history, will doom a home team’s fans to about 345 non-game-days a year.

Eventually, the NHL will have labor peace. When it does, hockey fans will climb into their throwback sweaters and roll to the ticket windows. For, as always, there will have been too many non-hockey-nights to have worried about.

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Lee Corso isn’t funny, just so you know.

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The Big East basketball coaches have predicted that Villanova will finish 12th this season. Must have been an open bar at that conference get-together.

Jay Wright’s program stumbled to 5-13 in the Big East last season. But it didn’t collapse. And while depth may be a challenge, the Wildcats’ projected nucleus is not just formidable, but dangerous.

James Bell has played internationally for the United States. JayVaughn Pinkston was a mega-time recruit two years ago. Mouphtaou Yarou is 6-10, 250, is experienced and is on some NBA scouting sheets. The Wildcats will miss Maalik Wayns and his ability to score in bushels. But rookie Ryan Arcidiacono has that level of lead-guard potential and can lean on ACC transfer Tony Chennault until he is ripe. And 6-10 freshman Daniel Ochefu can help at any level.

Big East champions? No. Big 5 standard? Don’t be surprised. Better than 12th in the conference? A given.